SHE hadn’t told him how to find Charles, so Asil started them back toward her cabin. He’d carefully explained to Mariposa that he’d felt Charles there, that Charles might have decided to wait where he thought they would come.

It was possible that Charles had done just that—so he wasn’t lying to her, precisely. Bran had somehow shut down the pack links, so Asil couldn’t check, but he was pretty sure Charles was nowhere near the cabin. The boy was cautious, and he had his fragile new mate with him. He’d have taken off to contact Bran before the last sliver from the cabin’s explosion had fallen. The witch and...